Come What May
by Wyoming
Summary: Stella and Mac break their daily routine, little do they know it brings them closer together. SMACked


Title: Come What May (I know it's the title of the song but it's so fitting)  
Pairing: Mac/Stella Rating: PG

Warnings: Any of the episodes up to the finale for S2, and there is going to be tidbits of angst and then fluff, sooooooo you are warned.  
Author: CSICatts

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_Never knew I could feel like this _

_Like I've never seen the sky before _

_I want to vanish inside your kiss _

_Seasons may change, winter to spring _

_But I Love You, until the end of time_

Detective Stella Bonasera sighed as she walked down the street towards her apartment. She went her usual route, walking down the streets of New York. It was then that she started thinking. Everything was always the same. Her daily routine, her route home, she even watched the same TV shows every night. She needed change. So this time, she took a hard left and headed for Central Park. She smiled at the kids playing, and the new found couples cuddling on a blanket.

It took Stella a little bit of time to finally find an open bench. She thought about the events of the day. She had come so close to spilling it all. She had come so close to telling the man she loved how she felt about him. It was bad enough that he was her boss, but she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Before she met him, her life was useless. She had nothing to live for, but now that he had come into her life, she just wanted to be allowed to love him.

Mac Taylor was stuck in the same situation as Stella. He repeated the same thing every day. The same tie, the same plastered on face that made him look tough. He could never break loose because of his job. He took the opposite route that Stella took, heading north instead of south, but this time, he wanted to take a walk by the park instead, break one of his habits. Just one.

As he passed by the park, with all the cute couples, and animals, and life breathing everywhere, he thought of the only person that brought light to his life. The girl with the pretty eyes, the curly hair, and the beautiful personality. Stella. She made his life amazing, something to look forward to every day. Ever since he lost Claire, she had always been there, to pick him up when he fell.

_Come what may _

_Come what may _

_I will Love You _

_Until my dying day_

God what Stella would do for a different job. She wanted to do the same thing, with the same people, just not so complicated. She didn't want to have to worry about conflict of interest if she decided to tell Mac how she felt. That was why she kept quiet about her love. She knew it wouldn't work anyway, so what was the point in hearing that rejection verbally?

Mac continued to walk down the street. The chirping of birds caught his attention, causing him to turn his head. When he did, he saw the most beautiful thing he had ever seen on this entire earth. Stella Bonasera. She didn't see him yet. He decided to act on it. He didn't care anymore. The infamous question is 'what does love mean to you?'. Well, to Mac, love meant everything. Without love, you wouldn't be able to live. He came up from behind her, surprising her.

"I didn't know you came to the park after work." Mac said from behind her, moving around the bench to sit down next to her.

Stella was surprised by Mac. She thought it weird that he was the one that was just flooding her thoughts, and then here he is, right behind her. Maybe this was fate. "I didn't know you did either."

"Just trying to do something different for once."

"Me too," Stella informed him.

Mac didn't say anything back. He just gazed into her eyes.

"Mac?" Stella wasn't exactly sure what was going through his head, but she was sure this was a very different Mac that she had just seen under twenty minutes ago, right before she left.

"Stella, I don't know if I've ever told you this, in fact, I know I haven't, but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. You have the most amazing personality, and you're such a strong woman."

Stella was more than stunned by what he had just said. "Mac I…."

Mac cut her off by putting two fingers to her lips. "I know it's hard, since our jobs aren't the most permitting, but I don't care; I love you Stella, I'll always love you, until the day I die."

Stella couldn't help but smile. She was glad that Mac felt the same way as she did. "I love you too Mac," she said simply.

Mac said nothing more, taking her into his arms, he felt so much better about everything.

_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place _

_Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace _

_Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste _

_It all revolves around you_

All of a sudden, Stella's world was perfect. She didn't feel so useless, and she felt like her life had meaning to it. Someone would mourn for her if she died, take care of her if she was sick, and make her day brighter by just being there for her.

Mac felt the same as Stella, like his world had just found new meaning to it. As he held her there in his arms, she was the center of attention in his life. His love centered to one person, the only person he felt deserved it.

"So, how long has this been going on Mac?" Stella asked.

"Ever since you started helping me with Claire. You were so kind, and caring. You put me in front of yourself, no one has ever done that for me before."

"Well, I loved you, so I was perfectly willing to put your needs in front of mine. I've loved you for a long time Mac," she admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me Stella?"

"Because of our jobs, I knew that if I told you, I would get 'conflict of interest' thrown in my face. I would have rather just accepted it and moved on rather than take the verbal rejection."

"I don't care what happens Stella, I love you, and I won't let anything change that."

Stella just smiled weakly as he held her in his arms. She finally felt like she belonged, like she was wanted and needed in the world. She finally felt loved, for the first time in her life, someone loved Stella Bonasera.

_Come what may, _

_I will Love You, _

_Til my dying day_

Fin


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